Grey Bees

Written by Andrey Kurkov

Narrated by Andrew Byron

With a warm yet political humor, Ukraine's most famous novelist presents a balanced and illuminating portrait of modern conflict.

Little Starhorodivka, a village of three streets, lies in Ukraine's Grey Zone, the no-man's-land between loyalist and separatist forces. Thanks to the lukewarm war of sporadic violence and constant propaganda that has been dragging on for years, only two residents remain: retired safety inspector turned beekeeper Sergey Sergeyich, and Pashka, a rival from his schooldays. With little food and no electricity, under constant threat of bombardment, Sergeyich's one remaining pleasure is his bees. As spring approaches, he knows he must take them far from the Grey Zone so they can collect their pollen in peace. This simple mission on their behalf introduces him to combatants and civilians on both sides of the battle lines: loyalists, separatists, Russian occupiers, and Crimean Tatars. Wherever he goes, Sergeyich's childlike simplicity and strong moral compass disarm everyone he meets. But could these qualities be manipulated to serve an unworthy cause, spelling disaster for him, his bees and his country?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Translator: Boris Dralyuk
• Release date: Dec 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798765071885

Andrey Kurkov

Andrey Kurkov was a journalist, prison warder, cameraman, and screenplay writer before finding international renown as a novelist. His books include the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Grey Bees,  the 2023 International Booker longlisted Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv, and the international bestseller Death and the Penguin. In addition to his fiction for adults and children, he has become a commentator and journalist reporting on Ukraine for the international media. He lives in Kyiv with his wife and their three children.